I am the student of NUML University and for helping my fellows i have made this blog where you will find, all things related with your M.A English Literature Program. In this way i have also contributed in educational field. if my efforts help you in your study then please leave the appreciation comment for motivating me to keep updating.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Analysis of Dog’s Tale by Mark Twain

Mark Twain was an American Writer,
journalist and humorist. He was strongly against the inequality, injustice and
hypocrisy of human beings. To highlight and criticize these discriminations he
has used satirical language in a humorous way in his short stories. In one of
his short-story “A Dog’s Tale” reveals the selfishness and cruelty of human beings
towards other human beings and animals. The story is about the faithfulness of
animals with their masters but their masters are cruel and selfish and use
animals for their own benefits. Human beings are disloyal to their pets. Human
beings consider themselves torch bearers of civilization but actually they are
going back to their generic animal instincts. All the qualities of human beings
are shifted to animals and human beings has revoked the development from being
an animal to a human being. One of the example of this transition is that the
mastiff had helped Saddie in planting seeds which is a productive and
humanitarian activity where as Mr. Gray has played a destructive role in taking
an innocent life for his materialistic benefit.

A dog is one of the innocent
creatures. In “A Dog’s Tale” a dog has been made to tell a tale because the
problems and hardships faced by this community. A dog is loved by human being.
They keep them for their company and give them shelter in the same home where
they themselves live. Dogs can not be replaced by any other pet as they help
their masters in domestic activity, safeguard them, live with them like a
family member and stay with them in every situation either favorable or adverse
where as a cat changes homes frequently and show no emotional attachment with
the family. Same is the case with horse that can also be kept as a pet. It can
only fulfill the need of riding and conveyance but again no indoor connection
with the family or house. A dog is more close to human beings and considers the
home of their masters as their own one, as we have noticed in “A Dog’s Tale”
when Aileen said,

“It was such a charming home! – my
new one; …”

So a Dog is justified in telling a
tale as compared to other animals.

A dog could be made to write an
autobiography or a poem but it is narrating a Tale because a tale is more of a
narrative form and it can be expected from a dog to narrate a tale. Whereas an
autobiography can not be narrated, it needs writing some personal experiences
which can only be done by some educated species. Same is the case with poetry
which is produced in the presence of creative skills which again is a
limitation in dog’s personality.

A dog’s tale is an allegory as the
vary title suggests the symbolic meaning. On the surface level the title
suggests the injustice attitude of the so-called scientist towards animals
whereas at the deeper level the title highlights the hypocrisy of human beings
and their false pretension to the animals and human beings as well. They
consider themselves civilized, educated and reasonable in their acts but do
neglect the feeling and emotions of other people where conflict of on interest
arises. In “A Dog’s Tale” Mr. Gray brought in the mastiff for the pleasure of
his daughter, Saddie. The mastiff saves the life of Mr. Gray’s baby by putting
her life in danger. It shows her faithfulness towards the master and obedience
to her mother, who told her; “In memory of me, when there is a time of danger
to another do not think of yourself . . .”

The story can also be inter-related
with another short story “The Fly” written by Katherine Mansfield. In “The Fly”
a fly fell pray to a cruel boss just like a puppy killed by Mr. Gray in “A
Dog’s Tale”. In both the stories the human being is behaving like demy-gods and
considers animals and birds mere puppet and toys in their hands. They feel no
sympathy for them and crush these innocent species for their own benefit and
amuse. In “A Dog’s Tale” the puppy and its mother too are helpless in saving
its life just like the Fly is helpless in “The Fly”. Both are on the mercy of
human characters. Furthermore the boss in “The Fly” can be co-related with the
mastiff, Aileen Mavoureen, because the boss has lost his son in a battle and
Aileen too has lost her puppy martyred for a so-called noble cause. Both the
Boss and Aileen are mourning after their kins but at the end, both accept the
tragic fact of the loss of their generation.